Ascent of the Aliomenti (27 page)

They stood there for an hour, all in silence, each wondering how it had happened. How had they, the Aliomenti, so wealthy and powerful, lost two good men in so senseless a manner? They believed their abilities made the impervious to any type of attack, that only old age could sap the life from their veins. And yet, on the verge of completing their greatest project and fulfilling their most ambitious achievement, Nature had won.

They gradually dispersed, and did the only thing they knew how to do. They returned to their projects, many moving to the top of the city to construct of the buildings they’d use for lodging and their future daily craft work.

Will returned to the ledge he’d stood on the day before, the ledge where he and Wayne had planned the process for creating the water conveyance system. He’d need to continue on without Wayne, and as he thought of what they’d need to do, he realized with a sudden start why they’d suffered such a tremendous loss.

Pride.

They had come to believe themselves incapable of failure, and time and again they’d found evidence to support that belief. And yet, as with all human beings, failure was a part of life and death. Pride prevented them from seeing the obvious, that with the support pyramid completed they’d be wise to require everyone to spend all time on top of the structure except when they were required to spend time below. Yet they’d believed themselves invincible against even the dangers they’d identified. Their arrogance had left two good men dead.

Will turned and looked at the thirty-two other residents of Atlantis, and resolved that they’d not make that mistake ever again. The cost was simply too high.

XXI

Immortals

1036 A.D.

One year later

Will knelt by the graves, thinking of the times he’d spent with David and Wayne. Their sacrifices had not been forgotten. Both men would be proud of what the Atlanteans had accomplished since their untimely deaths a year earlier.

Will stood, and his gaze shifted from the ground to the sky, taking in the enormity of everything they’d accomplished.

When the Aliomenti had arrived, the island had been a craggy, desolate mass of rock on the exterior, with a beautiful scenic interior that sloped down into a valley below sea level. Will had correctly guessed that strong storms could push the water over the beach and rock, flooding the valley, and they’d discovered that all bodies of water on the island were salty, seeming proof of that theory.

Using the design Wayne had envisioned, they were able to raise the water consistently using a combination of wind and gravity to a purification system some ninety feet above the ground, well above the base level of the city they’d constructed in the sky. The water exited that system fresh and clean, but it wouldn’t have mattered without Wayne’s design; they’d have been unable to move enough water above the surface to survive.

The elevated city was itself an impressive sight. Concerned about the flooding, the Aliomenti had banded together to raise a massive pyramid with a platform top, a structure built of concrete that would rise above the flood level of the island. The platform acted as the ground level for a small city built of wood, where they’d managed to create gardens of rich soil and grow crops. The city also served as home for the many Aliomenti shops that kept the Atlantean Aliomenti busy.

The city featured the type of variety so lacking in the original village. Where the northern village’s dwellings were uniform inside a single two story building, the southern outpost featured multiple buildings of different sizes, shapes, and colors. They interspersed dwellings and shops, enabling the craftspeople to live and work in the same part of town. The city also boasted actual pubs where the citizenry could eat and socialize, typically before or after their work was completed for the day.

They used the hollowed-out inside of the pyramid for storage, but they avoided filling it to capacity, using only the space near the top for fear of future flooding. One could still enter the structure at the ground level and walk up stairs to reach the city center, but more and more Aliomenti were able to levitate themselves or teleport to make the trip. The stairs were another reminder of the tragedy the two graves represented. Both David and Wayne had failed to progress sufficiently in their Energy development to master those rapid transport skills, and both had perished when confronted with the flood a year earlier.

The Atlanteans pursued Energy growth with explosive intensity after that flood and the tragic deaths. Almost all could now teleport at least a dozen feet, and that meant that they’d be able to instantly move ahead of a torrent of water, reaching the stairs and teleporting up them. A simple majority now could teleport the fifty feet or so necessary to move from the island valley to the edges of the city, meaning they’d be safe from the flash floods in an instant. They’d also worked on their telepathic sending skills, for Wayne and David had been unable to wake the villagers quickly enough due to their low Energy stores that fateful night. Had they been more powerful, had the two watchmen been able to awaken everyone sooner, one of the more powerful Aliomenti would have had the opportunity to teleport both men to safety long before the flood waters filled the bowl and led to their premature and unnecessary deaths.

With the city finished, life settling into a routine, and survival skills for the unique challenges of the island well-developed, the Atlanteans had thirsted for a new challenge. They’d found it by beginning to build ships. That was one of the reasons Arthur and Adam had announced they’d be visiting the southern Aliomenti city this day.

They’d been using row boats to move their goods to the mainland for trade, and the small size limited the amount they could transport. Larger goods, like tables, proved impossible to move, until the innovative carpenters figured out how to disassemble the furniture into component parts for more efficient transport. Will had to stifle a laugh, wondering if they should include indecipherable instructions for reassembling the pieces. It wasn’t necessary, for at least one carpenter would be part of each trip to the coastal villages. Still, it took a bit of restraint for Will to avoid checking for part labels on the pieces in the boats during the trips he made to the mainland.

While they were able to grow appreciable amounts of food above ground, they still relied heavily on the moderately arable land below the city. The farmers had figured out how to apply the lessons of the water purification system to remove the excess salt from the soil, and the reclaimed material proved excellent for growing all manner of produce. They could not rely on the crop, however, for they never knew when the next powerful storm would strike, leading to floods and total crop destruction. The farmers planted faster-growing produce on the surface, while crops with long growth cycles, including zirple and morange, were planted in the city. But they could not grow everything there, and with limited space for livestock they struggled to keep protein intake at the levels they’d determined to be ideal.

This lack of self-sufficiency meant that the Atlanteans spent more money on essentials than their northern brethren, and though they made a great deal of money from selling their products, they could not develop wealth at the same pace. Few complained about their financial situation, however, but that didn’t prevent them from seeking means to accelerate their financial growth. The larger ships being built would mean they could transport a greater volume of finished goods for trade. The increased capacity would also mean they could return with extensive provisions the Atlanteans could store to supplement their local efforts.

When the audible and telepathic shouts arose, announcing the arrival of Adam and a rejuvenated Arthur, Will left the graves and headed toward shore on foot. The grass and soil were soft, the air was salty, and the warmth of the sun filled him with a strange sense of contentment. It was a strange sensation, for he was leaving the graves of two men he’d admired, in order to meet with two he would far prefer to see buried in the ground. Walking, rather than teleporting, gave him the time to calm himself to once more be in their presence.

The two men stepped off the boat as Will arrived, glancing at their surroundings. They’d built up a ring of trees on the perimeter of the island, which Will had privately coaxed to greater heights at night when others were sleeping. Sailors would ignore a rocky island, and might continue on their way at the sight of a flat piece of land in the midst of the sea if they saw nothing but a few tall trees. But few would ignore the sight of the city they’d built, even less so if they ever realized the city rested upon a platform forty feet off the ground.

“This place really doesn’t look inviting, does it?” Arthur asked, looking askance at the crusty exterior of the island. Will found the comment ironic, given that Arthur was rather crusty on the outside as well. Unlike the island, however, Arthur had no scenic interior to redeem him. “I suppose that’s useful for maintaining isolation.”

“The island reserves its best for those bold enough to venture within,” Will replied. “We’ve added our own enhancements to its natural charms, as I mentioned in our communications.”

“Yes, I’m quite eager to see this
supposed
massive city sitting upon a giant... what did you call it? A pyramid?”

Will shrugged, not bothering to remain annoyed at Arthur’s skepticism over their reports of the city construction. He’d see it soon enough. “We call it that. It’s basically a huge block of concrete acting as a table, with the city resting on the top.”

Adam nodded thoughtfully. “I suspect it looks impressive, and I can’t wait to see it.”

Arthur snorted.

Will nodded at Adam. “You can see for yourself.” He glanced at Arthur. “Or hop back in the boat, if you prefer. Better yet, teleport far, far away.”

Arthur winced, then shuddered at the idea. He’d not overcome his fear of teleportation, and Will smirked at the impact the barb had generated.

They walked through an opening in the rocks, maneuvered through the trees, and emerged at the threshold of the great interior valley.

Adam gave a low whistle as the city came into view. “Will, I don’t think your descriptions have done this place justice.”

Even Arthur couldn’t hide his awe at the sight, his jaw agape, and in a moment Will would long savor, Arthur was in his presence and speechless.

They marched toward the city on foot, parading down the sides of the valley toward the base of the city, following the path worn in the soft grass from those moving toward the door and the stairway. “So what is it you want to talk to all of us about?” Will asked.

“Several topics, actually,” Arthur said. “First, I understand you’re planning to build larger ships. May I ask why?”

“Sure,” Will said. “Our markets are reachable only by boat. The boats we currently use are small and cannot carry much product, nor the people who can sell that product. With larger ships, we have the option and chance to move more product to the mainland on a regular basis, and that will improve our profits.”

Adam arched an eyebrow. “Is that all?”

Will arched his own eyebrow back. “We’re considering longer trips to the south. There are rumors of English-speaking people having success trading there in the past, so we’ll have more places to sell. They may offer products and materials we’ve not encountered before, and that can only help us. And... eventually, we’ll want to expand again. We may look to go south. Might as well keep our eyes open and start looking now. For trips of that length? We’ll need larger ships capable of journeys lasting several days.”

Adam nodded, but Arthur looked perturbed. “Should we not be moving east, where the greater portion of the civilized world might be found?”

Will almost laughed. “All directions will yield great opportunities, Arthur, if we give ourselves enough time.”

Arthur almost choked. “I supposed that’s true. East seems a better choice. But while your ships and trading proposals are interesting, that’s not the reason we’re here.”

“We’re here for two reasons, actually,” Adam noted.

Arthur leveled a glare in Adam’s direction. “The first item we wish to discuss relates to growing your numbers in this location. We’ve added about fifteen new members to the northern village since you’ve left, and are at fifty strong now. How are your numbers?”

“We’ve replaced no one since we lost Wayne and David a year ago,” Will replied. “Several of our villagers have married, however, so—“

“
What?
” Arthur whirled on Will, has face full of rage. “We spoke about this, Will! The dangers of childbearing for one trained and awakened in Energy are too great to take that chance! I would think you’d have been a bit more... articulate on the matter.”

Will scowled. “Yes. We said we’d make people aware of the risks. They’re aware. We’ve made it clear what might happen should they bear children. Most are content remaining childless, at least for now, until they feel more confident of their ability to restrain their offspring. I doubt that will continue indefinitely, however.” In fact, the metal workers, James and Elise, had talked to him on the topic quite extensively; they’d likely be the first Atlantean couple to choose to have a child.

“Perhaps a compromise,” Arthur mused. “Perhaps bringing a child or two in from a village, orphans, who do not bring with them the social awkwardness of a family unit or innate Energy skills—“